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Excel 2010: Reading/opening Lotus 1-2-3 .123 files

Anonymous
2013-05-13T19:32:14+00:00

Shortly we shall acquire a Windows 8 computer in our family, which will also act as a test bed to see what old programmes will run on it.  Our other machines are XP SP3 and WIn 7.

In case I am forced (or wish) to drop Lotus 1-2-3 altogether I was wondering if there is a way of opening/reading these Lotus 1-2-3 files in Excel 2010, which only supports OpenOffice among 'foreign' file formats.

My query relates to my Win XP SP3 machine and the planned Win 8 machine (and Excel 2010).

I have many Lotus 1-2-3 files, in both .wk4 and 'newer' .123 formats.

Just for info, I have successfully converted a number of current (i.e. in regular use) Lotus 1-2-3 files to Excel 2010, also with help from this forum.

Step 1 of the pathway is to Save As xls.

However, this is impractical for the dozens of Lotus files I still have, and which I am still keeping for reference.  Excel 2000 (which I still have but do not fancy using) can open .wk4 files but not .123.  I do not need to work on these, just need to be able to view them.

In a fairly recent thread (about Jan 2013) somebody had a similar problem but mentioned only .wk files.

The solution given was to download the open-source spreadsheet app, gnumeric:

http://projects.gnome.org/gnumeric/

Assuming this works in Win 8 and Lotus 1-2-3 (dated approx 2000) does not, I could use it as a viewer.

Regrettably, it also mentions support for only Lotus 1-2-3 .wk1 format.

Other references to file conversions in the MS support forums also refer to wk4 and older files, and older versions of Excel.  I found one suggestion to export the unknown file type as a CSV and open as xls:-

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2671933

However, this is no improvement over exporting from Lotus to .xls (or printing to PDF...).

=>  I am wondering if anyone has come up with a simple way of viewing -- if not opening -- Lotus 1-2-3 .wk and .123 files using Excel 2010 without having the Lotus app available.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-10-29T16:38:25+00:00

    If you were to install Libre Office (or I suspect Open Office) it will open the Lotus 123 file format and allow you to save it in more modern/conventional formats if you wish.

    Also, if you wish to run the Millennium edition of Lotus 1-2-3 you have the option creating a virtual machine that runs your copy of XP on your Win 8 PC.  Windows 7 has the ability to do this, but I'm not certain with respect to Windows 8 if that was retained.

    Regardless, you have the option of installing VirtualBox (or VMware's free offering) to create a virtual machine and install XP on that (or if you really want to get into it you can migrate your XP system to a virtual machine that can be opened in VMware or VirtualBox - multiple steps required though).

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-05-20T11:56:31+00:00

    I hope so.  I discovered that the version of Lotus 1-2-3 I installed is a 30-day trial version, so we shall have to see if it means I have to reinstall after 30 days...

    The version I am using on XP is also, apparently, the Millennium edition, but I was unable to load it.  I may try again.  Because of a problem I had to reinstall Windows 8, but I don't suppose that will make a difference.

    If I indeed cannot install an enduring version of Lotus my options for Win 8 appear to be (in no particular order):

    1.  Conduct a conversion programme during the 30-day trial period: Save As xls (and convert to xlsx if desired)
    2.  Install open-source spreadsheet gnumeric (http://projects.gnome.org/gnumeric/)
    3.  Install Open/LibreOffice (maybe spreadsheet component only if possible).  (I have never tried O/LO, so know nothing about possibilities.)
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  3. Anonymous
    2013-05-20T11:12:34+00:00

    I think you might to manage this with what you have found as a workaround...

    Good luck..

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-05-17T19:43:51+00:00

    Thanks, Pollardie.  I referenced this MS article as well.   I guess there is no quick way of dealing with this.

    In the meantime I obtained my Win 8 laptop and loaded Lotus 1-2-3.  It works after a fashion - I have to right-click and Run as Administrator from the Start screen to open it.  I get a peculiar error message about the system clock if I just left-click, e.g. on the link on the desktop.

    So I am less desperate...

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